Just a Dream (redone)
by Orangetails42
Summary: This is my story from PRINCESS OF THE MIDNIGHT BALL, by Jessica Day George, edited again. Rose has a nightmare, and Galen fixes it. Slightly dark because of King Under Stone and Illiken, but otherwise very safe. Slight fluff at the end. Please enjoy; review if you wish, and please no flames! :)


**Princess of the Midnight Ball Songfic**

As that dreaded music began to play, Rose internally groaned. She _hated _this song. Often, the King Under Stone would play it several times in a row, just to torment them. It was cruel mockery, really. The song told of a dancer and her lover, dancing away in the night. The Underland king called it, "The Dark Waltz." Rose couldn't agree more with the name, for it suited the darkness of the underworld perfectly.

As the music continued, Rose cursed the song. Oh, how she hated this! As she twirled around her partner, Illiken, he chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she asked him coldly.

"Just your expression. How I _wish _you would smile more often, _dearest _Rose."

Illiken smiled. Nothing humane existed in such a smile. It rattled Rose's nerves.

"Well, perhaps I'd smile more often if you were a more competent dance partner!" On the last word, she slammed her foot down onto his toe. Her words were lies; he was an excellent dancer, but she wanted to have the last word. As her foot connected with his, he winced, but only for a moment. The smile returned, even more cruel than before. He knew that he would win, no matter what battle they fought. For it was his family that kept them coming there, and nothing could change that.

But as the song neared it's close, Rose remembered something. Or rather, someone.

"Maybe I'd smile if you were Galen," she mumbled under her breath. Illiken's breath hitched. His confident expression changed to utter loathing. Then he did something completely unexpected. His features relaxed and he smiled again. Rose at least expected a slap, or a stomp of the foot. Or a retort. She waited for his response, but nothing came. Something was going to happen; she just knew it. It may not come at that moment, but he would never let the comment pass untested.

Finally, the song hit it's last note. Rose dropped a slow curtsey, while inside her head, she was rejoicing. It was the last song. She and her sisters were going home! She started to walk out of the room. Illiken, however, grabbed her wrist and dragged her towards the king's throne.

"Father?" he asked. The king turned, a blank expression on his face. "What if we should keep these girls tonight?"

Rose was confused. They had a deal; the girls danced until dawn, and then they left. What was he playing at?

The King Under Stone smiled cruelly. "What are you planning?"

Illiken smiled a smile exactly like his father's. "Why wait six years?"

Understanding dawned on the king's face. He let out of a bark of a laugh.

"Your brothers won't be happy with the girls so young." He laughed again.

Rose was confused. Of course the younger brothers disliked her youngest sisters for dance partners, but why would that matter now? Illiken answered her silent question.

"Why wait another six years for my marriage to you? You and your _lovely-_" he placed an emphasis on lovely, _"_sisters will be our brides tonight. Tomorrow night, you will dance with me, this time as my wife. Our children will rule your kingdom above." He laughed and gripped her hand. Rose looked at him in horror. This was the payment for that foolish comment she made. She just knew it. Illiken shook her out of her thoughts by pulling her up to the throne. Rose fought him, screaming.

"You can't do this! We have six more years of payment! You can't marry me! We had a deal!"

The king stared at her. "Yes, we did have a deal. But new deals can be arranged. He snapped his fingers. A page appeared next to him, and handed him a sheet of paper with a quill. The king smiled at the paper and wrote something on the bottom. King Under Stone shoved the paper towards her. It was obviously another contract…one with a line waiting for her signature.

"You sign this contract-" the king stated, "and you live. You refuse, and your precious sisters die. You will all marry my sons, and my grandchildren shall rule in the sun." A shiver traveled from Rose's feet to her heart. He wouldn't. He couldn't. But her inner thoughts whispered, _He would. _Then a memory hit her.

"But you're dead! You, and him-" she pointed at the Illiken, "are supposed to be dead! Galen freed us!" Illiken's face turned towards her, twisted in a monstrous grin.

"Dead we may be, but you'll never be free of us." Rose let out a scream of terror as he lunged.

Her eyes opened wide, and she sat up in bed. _A nightmare…only a nightmare…_her thoughts echoed. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her rattled nerves. Someone turned in bed beside her.

"Rose?" croaked a voice. She allowed herself a faint smile. Her husband. _Galen. _

"Nothing, Galen. Just a nightmare."

Galen sat up anyway. "Not just a nightmare. You're covered with sweat. And you woke up yelling."

She cursed inside her head, wishing herself to have just kept quiet. "Honestly, it's nothing. I'm fine."

Galen turned towards her. "Why do I not believe you?"

Rose sighed. She was going to have to tell him at some point or other. It might as well be now.

"It was Illiken." she began, "We started dancing. It was a waltz: the one you heard when you danced with me at the Midnight Ball."

He nodded. She continued.

"He told me I should smile more, and I retorted with a stupid comment."

Rose internally cursed herself. Galen gently lifted her hand and squeezed it. She knew that he wanted to hear what she had said.

"I told him I'd smile if he were you." Galen smiled slightly, but his smile quickly slipped.

"What did he do after you said that?"

"He didn't do anything, but once the song ended, he went to his father. The king declared that if my sisters and I didn't marry his sons, they would die." Her throat constricted, and almost couldn't go on. Galen put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. Rose took a deep breath and continued.

"Then I told him he was supposed to be dead, and he said no matter what, we'll never be free. Then he lunged at me, and that's when I woke up."

Galen wordlessly shook his head. He understood fully. He, too, had had nightmares. His were almost worse, however, because of countless deaths he had seen in war played over and over in his mind.

He gathered her in his arms, and let her head rest on his shoulder.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "Nothing will harm you when I'm here."

Rose smiled lightly. It was a statement of truth, for it _had_ been him who had rescued her and her sisters. She shuddered as she remember the dream, and Galen held her tighter. Somehow, his presence seemed to chase away the dream.

And as the night progressed, Rose fell asleep in Galen's arms, and no nightmares plagued her again that night, nor whenever she had him next to her.


End file.
